The present invention relates to a supply box for sportsmen. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a portable supply box having runners provided on the bottom side thereof and being divided internally into a number of sections for storing equipment. One of the sections includes a heat and light generating lantern.
II. Description of the Relevant Art
Early in the roots of civilization there were people living in cold climates who relied upon fish as their primary protein source. These fish were drawn from moving or still waters. During the winter season the waters often froze, requiring these early hunters to break the ice in order to draw the fish from the cold waters.
Modern fisherman who live in areas where the water seasonably freezes still engage in this ancient practice in much the same way as did their predecessors. Today, however, most ice fishing is done with sophisticated equipment and the "hunters" of today are mostly engaged in the activity for sport rather than for survival.
However, the one constant present in today's sport just as much as it was many millenia ago is the ever-present cold and the need to portage about the vast array of fishing equipment and food that is used for the day's outing. Ice fishing is a waiting sport for the most part, and the waiting becomes arduous and quite unpleasant at temperatures below freezing.
The fisherman's extremeties are highly susceptible to cold and frostbite. This is particularly true of the hands which must be either exposed or only thinly covered to allow the fisherman to manipulate the bait and hook and to also provide the fisherman with the requisite amount of sensitivity required to sense the jerk of a biting fish. Most sportsmen acknowledge that the cold and inconvenience of carrying equipment and food about are not enjoyable features of the sport.
There have been efforts in the past to provide the ice fisherman with equipment to ease the discomfort of their sport For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,681,809 issued to Hamill discloses a storage box having a seat and runners. In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 5,085,446 issued to Hoffman discloses a seating unit that includes a shelter supported by a frame. The shelter includes a seat.
However, all previously known equipment fails to provide an efficient method for carrying equipment while at the same time providing warmth to the user. Accordingly, there is wanting a unit which provides both an efficient method for transporting equipment and a system for keeping the sportsman warm.